Eglu Cube Coop and Accessories

[snaps]

We have a seven year old light sussex, Lupin, an eight month old maran, Rosie and a second season black rock, Rocky.

 

For the last couple of years Lupin has had bouts of egg pecking and eating. Mustard eggs have solved this in the past but now they only work for a short time. I think she forgets easily.

 

She hasn't laid at all for a year or more so the eggs she is pecking belong to the other two.

 

This morning, after a peck free fortnight, there was another got at egg.

 

I think she will teach this habit to the others if she hasn't already. By close observing I'm pretty certain it is only Lupin doing it at the moment.

 

We have a friend who will humanely despatch her but I feel so bad about making this final decision. Seems like punishing her.

 

Is there anything else we could try which might put an end to this habit? They free range on a decent sized patch of our garden, she potters about happily, her appetite is fine and they all get on beautifully together. We could seperate her but she wouldn't like it. Sometimes the other two lay a very early egg in the pod so it would mean giving her seperate accommodation at night.

 

I would be so grateful if anyone has any ideas - including the 'stop being so sentimental and do the obvious thing' advice!

[Salop Chuck]

A possible solution to your egg eating problem might be to put Lupin at bed time into a straw lined cat carrier and place this in the Eglucube coop with the other hens. She is with the other hens so she is not lonely but she cannot get to any eggs laid overnight.

 

I used this technique to solve another problem ie feather pecking at night (or in the morning before the hens are let out into the run). One of my bantams was being picked on and this stopped the night time bullying.

 

Hope this helps. I sure other people will be able to give a much more plausible solution. It would be a shame to cull her especially as she gets along fine with the other hens and they form a contented group. She is a great age though.

[snaps]

I can see this would work well but we have an ordinary eglu (one of the first) and space would not allow. But thank you for the idea.

 

I think I'll have to get up very early and fence off a patch for Lupin until the others have laid.

 

The lengths we go to ...

[Salop Chuck]

Hi snaps, I can see why my idea wouldn't work very well for you Perhaps covering the eglu with a blackout (at least on the side where the sun rises) to make the inside of the eglu darker so Lupin cannot see the eggs to eat. Anything is worth a try. Getting up really early every morning would be quite demanding on you especially if you go out to work.

[Tweety]

Lupin is a great age and, if she is otherwise healthy and happy, it would be a real shame to hasten her demise for a relatively minor transgression, annoying though it is.

I'm afraid you won't get any advice about not being sentimental from me! If she were mine, I would let her get on with it in the knowledge that she is probably approaching the end of her natural lifespan, though I know that others will disagree. I think your idea of separating her until the others have laid is probably your best bet.

[snaps]

Thanks again, Salop Chuck. Covering the eglu might work - although they are used to letting themselves out into the run in the morning. But if I close it up tightly and cover it with something dark they'll think it's still night, won't they?

 

Tweety, I am proud of Lupin's good age and really want her to have at least this summer before the colder weather sets in and thanks for your support in this. It is an irritating habit though because you can never be off guard. We've lost quite a lot of eggs this season.

[Lavenders_Blue]

Could you set up a roll away nest box for your laying hens? I don't know that it would fit into your eglu, but you may be able to block off the eglu nest box and set up a roll away box elsewhere. It would prevent Lupin from being able to access and eat the eggs.

[sadietoo]

I have a light sussex and she is just about two and a bit.. I am delighted to think that she may live to seven or more, and I think I would forgive her any transgressions at that age...whatever they were..and especially if she has given me eggs throughout her life I would feel I owed her a happy retirement. Do you have the space to put her on her own with another new girl who perhaps isn't laying...or can you remove her at night time to sleep elsewhere in a cat carrier ( a shed/ garage) then for the odd nights this isn't convenience, or you couldn't be bothered, at least you would know that you may sacrifice your eggs for the day?..it seems a small price to pay for such a lovely girl and loyal pet.

 

I hope you decide against culling.....

[WitchHazel]

Congratulations on Lupin reach such a fantastic age.

 

It sounds like your concern isn't really that Lupin is eating eggs (after all,her days are naturally numbered anyway), but that she might teach this bad habit to the other girls.

 

Before you make any far reaching decisions, it might be worth taking Lupin out at night time for a few nights, just to confirm that she really is the culprit.

 

Is it possible to continue with the mustard eggs? Bit of a pain, I know, but I guess you can leave each mustardy one in there until it gets pecked?

 

Good luck with whatever you decide.

[snaps]

Thanks so much for suggestions and support in keeping Lupin going. The roll away idea is one we've thought about but would be hard to incorporate. Standard chicken coops would have this as part of their design, I think.

[Snowy]

Why not try a couple of rubber or china eggs? I've known people try those - quite a deterrant!

If that doesn't work, I wonder if something could be rigged up to fit over the top of the eglu nest box, so that the egg falls through a hole in the centre onto a bed of straw underneath? Hm, where are those omlet designers when you need them! I also wonder if trying a beak ring would help? Just keep it on long enough to break her of the habit.

[snaps]

Thanks, Snowy. I have got a rubber and a marble egg I use from time to time. Every little helps although nothing seems permanent! I'm spending a lot of time watching them and as soon as Rocky or Rosie go into the eglu I belt down the garden to close the gate so Lupin can't get in. This morning I got there to find Rocky settling in for a good lay closely watched by Lupin who I shooed out sharpish. Of course, I could keep Rocky and Rosie both shut in until they lay and let Lupin out but that seems a bit hard on them as it can be past midday sometimes when they lay and they don't every day.

 

So far: Rocky never damages her eggs, good little thing. Rosie almost always leaves peck marks in one end but not usually enough to pierce the membrane - at least I suppose they are peck marks. At the moment she doesn't seem to want to persevere and eat them. Her shells are not as tough as Rocky's although they have identical diets. This is hard evidence from leaving them shut in in turn while they lay. Lupin: least said the better.

 

I'm saving the mustard egg as my master weapon for when I go back to work in September.

 

I've never heard of a beak ring. Must find out.

 

If there was more room to manouevre inside the eglu a roll away or drop through egg system would be great.